This invention pertains to a roll label primarily for use with metal, glass, plastic or fiber containers and primarily for salvaging preprinted containers. The prior art discloses patents for labels and some of the patents as listed are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,617--Pekko, Jan. 4, 1972 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,003--Williams, Oct. 17, 1978 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,701--Franklin, et al., Jan. 22, 1980
In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,631,617 issued to Pekko, Jan. 4, 1972, the label and its claims pertain to a tamper proof pressure sensitive label. Any attempt to remove the label leaves an adhesive and other indications of tampering but the invention does not provide for block out features and does not provide for an opaquing agent. The present invention is not a pressure sensitive label. The present invention is designed to reclaim obsolete inventory and upon delamination provides and leaves an opaquing agent layer providing for block out of preprinted graphics on the item to which the label is secured.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,003 to Williams, Oct. 17, 1978, the label and its claims pertain to a switch proof pressure sensitive label which upon delamination does not provide opacity and the invention is primarily designed to evidence tampering with the label for security purposes. The present invention is not a pressure sensitive label and upon delamination provides for leaving an opaquing agent layer and provides opacity and is designed to reclaim obsolete inventory and provide for relabeling of the same.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,701 issued to Franklin, et al., Jan. 22, 1980, the label and its claims comprise a label which is primarily useful for detecting tampering and is useful only to indicate tampering if their is an attempt to transfer the label from one object to another. No block out features are claimed or provided in this invention. The present invention provides block out of preprinted graphics upon delamination and leaves an opaquing agent layer which the patent issued to Franklin, et al., does not provide.
The present invention is further destinguished from the prior art in that the present invention discloses a label wherein the base construction of the present invention is a polypropylene core to which one extruded skin of polypropylene is added to each face of the core. Such a construction is well known in the art. An opaquing agent layer is added to one extruded polypropylene skin to provide opacity and block out preprinted graphics on the object to which it is secured. In the final construction, printing, adhesive and a clear skin of polypropylene are added to the non-opaque extruded polypropylene skin.
In application, the construction so described is bonded by an overall adhesive applied to the opaquing agent layer by labeling equipment already known in the field. If the label is removed from the container, the bottom adhesive layer, opaquing agent layer and one skin of polypropylene remain on the container thus covering or blocking out any previous printing on said container.
The present invention thus, discloses a label containing printing primarily to be adhered to metal, glass or plastic containers which have already been printed and are now obsolete due to graphics changes. Containers can thus be salvaged if the initial label is misprinted, needs updated with new or additional information, or if the container is to be used for an entirely different product than originally labeled. Application of this label renders an obsolete preprinted container resuable, thereby salvaging the investment already made, as the delamination of the present label leaves an opaquing agent layer providing opacity which continues to block out the obsolete graphics. In the container industry, containers can be salvaged and reused with new labels which, if removed, will not reveal the graphics from the old printing.
This concept is not disclosed in any of the prior art and the label and application constitute a new and novel label in the industry.